Anti-Iranian sentiment

Anti-Iranian sentiment (Iranophobia) refers to any manifestation of hatred, prejudice, and discrimination against the Iranian people. It is most generally based upon a disdain for Iranian culture or the Persian language, and has been recorded across several countries and regions for centuries. The phenomenon may be motivated by a variety of factors, such as broader feelings of xenophobia or due to certain political developments involving Iran.

Historically, anti-Iranian sentiment (principally targeting Persians) has been a recurring theme in the Arab world since the Muslim conquest of Iran in the 7th century. Ethnic discontent between Arabs and Persians following the early Muslim conquests is thought to have peaked under the Umayyad dynasty and ultimately sparked the Iranian Intermezzo in the 9th century. This dynamic intensified with the Safavid conversion of Iran to Shia Islam by the 18th century and continues to influence Iran's relationship with the Arab League in the modern era.

A more recent surge in anti-Iranian sentiment began in the Western world, particularly in the United States, after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. In the aftermath of the Iran hostage crisis, the United States and other Western countries have repeatedly clashed with Iran in both diplomatic and military channels over several complex points of contention, including Iran's nuclear program and military activities in the Strait of Hormuz and throughout the Middle East, where it has been engaged in proxy conflicts with Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Turkey.

The opposite phenomenon is known as Iranophilia, which involves a deep admiration for the Iranian people and their history, culture, language(s), or country. This sentiment is notable for having been and continuing to be widespread in many parts of the Muslim world, especially in the Indian subcontinent, where a uniquely Indo-Persian culture developed under the Mughal Empire and other powerful Persianate societies.